Meal Plan | Residence Services

Lister Residence and Peter Lougheed Hall have a meal plan that provides residents with a variety of nutritious options and comfort foods. Residents can focus on studying and adjusting to university life instead of grocery shopping, meal planning and washing dishes.

If you're not living in Lister Residence or PLH, check out the voluntary meal plan options!

2020-2021 MEAL PLAN

7-DAY ACCESS PLAN
8-month contract: $5,260.00
Includes $300 taxable ONEcard cash balance that can be spent at all dining locations on campus!

HOW DOES MY MEAL PLAN WORK?

Simply tap your ONEcard at the entrance to gain access to the dining hall in your building and help yourself to a variety of choices.

You can eat as much or as little as you choose and come back as often as you wish during opening hours. Fresh food and snacks are available throughout the day with plenty of choices no matter when you visit. During peak meal periods, choose from a range of made-to-order hot meals!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are the benefits of having a meal plan integrated into residence?

Lister Residence and Peter Lougheed Hall offer meal plans to ensure students receive well-rounded and nutritious meals. As a key piece of residence programming, the meal plan facilitates community building and engagement opportunities and allows students to take a break from their studies and connect with their peers.

How do I pay for my meal plan?

Fees for the meal plan are paid at the beginning of the academic term. You will use your ONEcard for meal plan flex purchases only.

Can I opt out of the meal plan?

No. Given it is a room and board program, it is not possible to opt out of the meal plan if you live in Lister Residence or Peter Lougheed Hall.

Can I purchase guest access for my friends and/or family?

No. The dining hall is currently only accessible to meal plan holders.

Can I cook meals in Lister Residence?

Lister Residence contains some access to kitchen facilities for students to prepare the odd meal or snack but they are not equipped for full-time cooking.

My friends outside of residence packed their own food. Can they join me in the dining hall for a meal?

No. The dining hall is currently only accessible to meal plan holders.

Can I take food out of the dining hall?

No, full meals cannot be taken out of the dining hall. Some small food items, like fresh fruit, will be allowed out.

Please note we are temporarily pausing the use of reusable cups.

Will there be a quiet study space in the dining hall?

Residents are welcome to study in the dining hall as often as they wish throughout the day, but we are asking students to stay the necessary time to dine in.

Please be mindful of your time spent in the dining hall as we have reduced capacity. You can come and go as you want but please do not exceed more than 30 minutes per visit. With reduced seating, other students can be waiting in line to access the dining hall.

What happens to my meal plan balance at the end of the year?

Any leftover meal plan flex funds from the academic year will be deposited into your ONEcard cash account on May 1. You can view this balance on your ONEcard account.

I’m returning to Lister as a student leader. Why do I need to have a meal plan?

There’s a significant upper-year population in Lister Residence who serve as mentors and student leaders. We want to implement a meal plan that will help first-year students adjust to university life and support the entire community. This means that everyone who lives in these residences must participate in the meal plan.

I have feedback about the meal plan!

Every student will have an opportunity to provide detailed feedback on their overall residence experience through an annual satisfaction survey distributed at the end of the term (Skyfactor Student Satisfaction Survey). There are specific questions regarding Dining Services on this survey.

Students can also reach out to their Food Ambassadors with any questions or concerns that they may have (food.ambassador@ualberta.ca).

Dining Services has a commitment to developing real-time feedback mechanisms in the dining halls through “TXTnTell” and we remain open to suggestions on how to improve our communications. Please email us at dining@ualberta.ca with any questions or concerns about the meal plan.